outback loop

[topspark Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close topspark]

Hello All
Just wondering if anyone has done the "outback loop", lyndhurst, innaminka, birdsville, etc....
If so, how did you find the overall travelling? Easy /difficult...
Be interested in any sort of feedback.
cheers

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: outback loop

I've driven Birdsville Track and then along Walkers Crossing into Innaminka but havn't taken the Cordillo downs track. From my experience none of these tracks are difficult but you need to do two things. Drop tyre pressure to something sensible. From memory I was on about 26psi. This will allow the tyre to flex over the gibber stones instead of being damaged. The other thing is to reduce your speed. Do not expect to sit on 110kph. You could be it is unsafe. You also miss out on the remote scenery. Better speed would be maybe 80-85kph.

The Outback Loop
I believe the guy who owns the Birdsville Pub also owns the Innaminka Hotel. The Innaminka Hotel had an incredible array of beers on tap. I was very impressed. As you will need a pass to travel in the area you can stay at the Innaminka Common for free which is a nice area. If it rains in the area then Innaminka will just about always be closed off but would be a great place to be trapped for a week.

[nickchap Member Find all posts View Profile Close nickchap]

Re: outback loop

Hi topspark

I did the Birdsville-CordilloDowns-Innamincka trip in Aug 09 after crossing the Simpson.

The road out of Birdsville via Durrie is great(those Queenlanders can build outback roads!)
The turn off south to Cordillo Down is about 14 KM from Durrie.(You know when you hit the SA border ops: )
Road is good but very dusty so maintain good vehicle distances.(watch out for rocks-lots of them ) A good speed can be maintained as it was a long distance to Innamincka
We did it with two stops- the last just short if Innamincka as you are not allowed to camp next to the Cooper near town.( we like BIG campfires)
From Cordillo we took the western track through Innamincka Reserve- road - no dramas.
From Innamincka down we went via the Old Strzelecki Track.Again very dusty but OK
A good alternative to the Birdsville track
If you go via Old Strzelecki Track-Inammincka- Cordillo-Birdsville then down the Birdsville Track it would be an interesting loop.

Things would have changed because of the rains so someone may have a more up to date trip report

I did get an email during the flood that the Cooper was flowing at 8 m over the Inammincka crossing. :shock:

Nick

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: outback loop

I heard that the new Strz between Lyndhurst and Moomba is or will be fully sealed soon. Not sure of the accuracy of this but that will be a bugger but I can understand that Santos is paying for this so they will get it.

Nickchap mentioned about not being able to camp next to the Cooper near town. We did in the Common and you can have fires altough you do need to be realistic.

Best way to describe these roads are rocky dirt roads that usually only get graded every other year altough I reckon that may not have been the case this year due to the rain damage the roads would have suffered.

[Yota Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yota]

Re: outback loop

I heard that the new Strz between Lyndhurst and Moomba is or will be fully sealed soon. Not sure of the accuracy of this but that will be a bugger but I can understand that Santos is paying for this so they will get it.

.

Drove the southern part of the strez 2 years ago, lots of road work going on, the tar should be most of the way to moomba by now.

[K & M McF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close K & M McF]

Re: outback loop

We did Lyndhurst to Merty Merty (south of Innamincka) this year, road in excellent condition, Kelly called it the Strzelecki Highway (average about 75 km/h). There is only 20 kilometres of tar in three sections (another sign says there is 7 km coming up but there is no tar there at all - ran out of $ I guess) from Lyndhurst to the old Blanchewater ruins. This means there is only about 7% of the road from Lyndhurst to Innamincka.

We also did Innamincka to Birdsville earlier in the trip. We could not go the most direct route north out of Innamincka due to the rain, but the Cordello Downs road was in very good condition compared to 2003. However, this road is not as good as the Strzlecki, you can only do about 60 or so km/h. We averaged 53 km/h for this section of the trip. Once you get towards Queensland, the road gets better and you can sit on 80 km/h or more safely.

Of course, the road conditions out there are so dependent on the weather, the amount of traffic and the time since they were last graded. Therefore, you should plan on the trip taking a lot longer than the average speeds mentioned.

[Shaker Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Shaker]

Re: outback loop

We did the "Outback Loop" in 2004, great experience & very happy to talk to you about it.
If you would like PM me I will give you my contact number.

[Sunshine Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunshine]

Re: outback loop

We did Lyndhurst to Innaminka in September this year and there is only about 20km of bitumen and 400kms of dirt. Down near the Lyndhurst end is some gibber desert and quite rough but after that it is very good for a dirt road. We also had to go through some creek crossings of 45cm of water in a couple of places too. We were pulling our Jayco Eagle and had no trouble with it and it is only an on-road version. The gibbers did slow us down to 10km/hr in one small section but then 80km for most of the rest. I don't know about the Cordillo Downs road etc but you should monitor the South Australian website that the Roads Dept have to tell you which roads are open and which are closed. You don't want to head off and find the road is totally closed on you. Both the Strzelecki and Birdsville tracks have been closed over the last couple of months as the rains roll in and then they open again. Also get the tyre pressures down to 25psi: on cars and trailers. Didn't have any trouble with tyres once they were down to 25.

Just checked the SA Road Dept website and the Cordillo Downs Road is closed. The Strz is open to 4X4 and heavy vehicles only. See the website.
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklin ... /area1.asp

[Yota Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yota]

Re: outback loop

We did Lyndhurst to Merty Merty (south of Innamincka) this year, road in excellent condition, Kelly called it the Strzelecki Highway (average about 75 km/h). There is only 20 kilometres of tar in three sections (another sign says there is 7 km coming up but there is no tar there at all - ran out of $ I guess) from Lyndhurst to the old Blanchewater ruins. This means there is only about 7% of the road from Lyndhurst to Innamincka.

Thats good news, the signs up when we were there sujested otherwise, but glad to proven wrong on this one